Indian Market is bigger than itself. In the 84 years since its inception, this annual outdoor Native arts and crafts market-while organized and operated by the non-profit Southwestern Association for Indian Arts-has become something that belongs jointly to the Native peoples living within the borders of the United States and to Santa Fe's sense of identity. Indian Market today hosts a huge range of events and spawns many more times that in associated and complementary goings-on. One of the most explosive new areas to find Native artists making a name for themselves is in the realm of filmmaking, as presented each year at the Center for Contemporary Arts' Native Cinema Showcase. Headlining the 2005 Showcase is Heather Rae's documentary
Trudell
, following the life and times of John Trudell (pictured on the cover), the notorious activist and recording artist. In SFR's interview with Trudell and Rae he was asked if young Native activists today should consider actions similar to the occupation of Alcatraz or Wounded Knee, both of which he had involvement in. "I personally wouldn't want to see it happen," Trudell says. "It can be an educating process, but it's a completely different police state now than it was then. Other people can romanticize this stuff, but they didn't have a war waged against them. It wasn't their body count. The occupations served their time and purpose. That kind of political activism didn't work on the material plane, but it awoke the spirit of the people." Trudell went on to say that he hopes young Native artists and activists find new ways of keeping that spirit alive. The five profiles of young artists setting trends and bucking tradition-even the traditions of Indian Market-prove that they're trying.
In this issue of Indian Market 2005:
Popping Tradition: The Gaussoin Family
Practical Casting: Cody Sanderson
The Tortoise and The Dare: Eve Lauryn-LaFountain
